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It can be hard for someone who lived in Soho as a kid to see the neighborhood clearly now. Mostly we see what it’s not anymore as we think back to the days of abandoned streets, five-floor walk-ups to unfinished lofts, and the artists and art galleries that occupied the area. Today, the heart of Soho has become NYC’s biggest outdoor shopping mall and, especially with the closing of the Scholastic Store, it doesn’t seem like the most kid-friendly corner of the city. However, just as we can look past the shiny new storefronts to see the beautiful old cast-iron facades that sit above them, there are some wonderful experiences for families in this historic neighborhood—if you know where to look.

Throughout March, we'll be writing about the best places for families to visit, shop and eat in Soho and adjacent neighborhoods Little Italy and Hudson Square. For the purposes of our posts, our geographical boundaries are Houston to Canal Streets between the Bowery and the Hudson River. We kick off our coverage with the top 35 things to do in Soho and its surrounding environs.

We all know microwaveable popcorn is terrible for us...but it's so convenient. Did you know you can make your own homemade popcorn in the microwave without the store bought package and all the bad-for-you ingredients? It's super easy, just as fast and will save you tons of dough too. You only need two simple things to make this deliciously convenient snack! Turn an every day brown paper bag into a healthy snack by following these easy steps.

Even if your family's swimming in money (and if you are, congrats), we all appreciate a good bargain. Summer camp is an especially stressful financial issue because, while we want our children to have a fun, rewarding and safe experience, we don't want to dig into our 401Ks to pay for it. One thing we've learned is cost and quality don't always correlate. Some wonderful programs are subsidized by arts and education funding so that all children can experience the rich and amazing resources of this city.

Although there seem to be fewer FREE New York City summer camps than in years past, our list of inexpensive camps keeps growing. In fact, one of our best low-cost bets—the NYC Parks Department's summer camp, which costs a total of $500 for seven weeks—is holding its lottery for spots this week. Read on for more info on that program and many other FREE and bargain summer camps for NYC kids. You can find even more summer options in our jam-packed Camp Guide and search for programs by interest, age range and location in our Camp Directory.

There are a lot of historic houses in NYC that give visitors a fascinating glimpse at our city's rich past. Unfortunately, most of these institutions are hands-off spots filled with vintage furniture and curios that beg to be touched—a real problem when you're visiting with young (and even not-so-young) kids.

But there are three historic museums in my home borough of Queens that offer special hands-on experiences just for families that are as engaging as they are educational. From romping in a 19th-century playroom to churning your own butter to exploring a Victorian garden, here are a trio of Queens history museums where kids will actually have fun.

March is National Reading Month so this week's picks include FREE storytimes with Curious George at multiple New York Public Library branches and Read Across America Day celebrations with readings of the new classic Click, Clack, Moo. Plus, celebrate Purim and try a FREE acrobatic class at one of our favorite circus schools.

My ten-year-old son loves animals and has been begging us to adopt a cat for about a year now. (Currently we only have a millipede and she's not exactly cuddly.) But since I'm not sure my kid is quite ready to take on the responsibilities of pet ownership, I decided we'd start with a trip to the recently opened Meow Parlour instead.

Meow Parlour is a cat cafe where you can grab a treat and play with adoptable felines in a cozy environment. These establishments have been super popular in Asia and Europe for years, and though Meow Parlour is the first permanent cat cafe in NYC, we expect more of these animal eateries to pop up around town. Little Lions is planning to open this spring and there are rumors of a dog cafe on the way, too.

While my son really enjoyed his visit to Meow Parlour, there are some important things to know before you go with kids. We've got the scoop on this cute kitty experience.

We finish up our series of posts on East Harlem with a look at El Museo del Barrio, the northernmost institution on Museum Mile (at least until the Africa Center opens). Founded in 1969 by NYC-born artist Raphael Montañez Ortiz, who recognized a need for a museum dedicated to Latino culture and art, El Museo moved to its current location in the Heckscher Building in 1978 and underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2009. The museum's permanent collection features more than 6,500 objects that span eight centuries of Latin American, Caribbean and Latino art, and it mounts temporary exhibits, too. However, with only two galleries, the museum isn't able to showcase that much work at once.